Soccer stadium not part of PortMiami zoning

A group of Miami-Dade commissioners gave initial approval to the PortMiami zoning district, which would allow private development on the seaport but does not include a sports stadium.

That could be bad news for soccer legend David Beckham, who is considering launching a Major League Soccer franchise in Miami and is mulling a county-owned site at the port, the Miami Herald reported. But the full commission must vote on the district before it is officially created. The proposal could be tweaked before then.

The PortMiami zoning district represents the first attempt to form a long-term development plan for the seaport. It currently includes a hotel, office space and mega-yacht facility at the edge of the port facing Bayside Marketplace.

Port officials began working on the proposed district earlier this year, well before Beckham and his partners started pursuing Miami as a potential MLS franchise location. [Miami Herald] — Eric Kalis